EU slams DR Congo decision to expel ambassador ahead of elections

The EU lashed out at the Democratic Republic of Congo’s decision to expel its ambassador on Thursday, calling the move “completely unjustified.” The expulsion came three days before crucial elections in the vast Central African country. DR Congo Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu earlier told the EU that it had 48 hours to withdraw its representative in retaliation for sanctions against 14 officials, including President Joseph Kabila’s handpicked candidate for the long-delayed vote, AFP reports. An EU spokesman said the bloc “regrets this decision and considers it as completely unjustified.” On December 10, EU foreign ministers extended a travel ban and asset freeze on 14 individuals over “the obstruction of the electoral process and the related human rights violations.” That included Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a former interior minister chosen by Kabila to be the candidate for his succession in Sunday’s presidential election.